


Doctor Who: "One Day"

by sedrayne_telsur



Series: Doctor Who: "One Day" [1]
Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Eleventh Doctor Era, Gen, Post-Episode: The Day of the Doctor, Pre-Episode: The Time of the Doctor
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-26
Updated: 2018-10-29
Packaged: 2019-08-07 23:42:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 8,410
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16418291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sedrayne_telsur/pseuds/sedrayne_telsur
Summary: After many years and many lives, the Doctor finally decides to see his granddaughter Susan Foreman.  But when he and Clara land in 23rd century London, they discover that not all is as it seems....





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I started writing this fic way before I even was on AO3, back in 2013/2014 when Matt Smith's tenure as the Eleventh Doctor was at its close. I like to think that my writing has improved since then, but I really wanted to get this fic out.
> 
> ~~~
> 
> This story takes place between "The Day of the Doctor" and "The Time of the Doctor". There may be some inaccuracies in regards to continuity, including some details set by the Eight Doctor audio adventures (which I've never listened to, but I want to some day). I never finished this fic, but I wrote 10 complete chapters that I will post all on AO3. Maybe one day I'll finish the story.

_ “One day, I shall come back.  Yes, I shall come back. Until then there must be no regrets, no tears, no anxieties.  Just go forward in all your beliefs and prove to me that I am not mistaken in mine. Goodbye Susan.  Goodbye my dear.” _

 

_ -The Doctor, “The Dalek Invasion of Earth” _

 

The Doctor sat alone in the console room of the TARDIS.  A somewhat blank look covered his face as if he was trying to remember something.  Something important. The Doctor was 1200 years old and he was doing his best to ignore that fact.  A series of memories began to drift through his trail of thoughts. Memories of those he had loved–and lost.  The Ponds… Donna… Martha… Rose…. But there was one more: one whose memory he had held onto for more than nine hundred years.

Just then, the Doctor’s companion, Clara Oswald entered the TARDIS console.

“Doctor, just how long have you had an Italian restaurant in here?” she said as she entered.

“What? Oh, hello Clara!” the Doctor started as his train of thought was brought to a halt.

“‘Cause it’s absolutely delicious!” Clara continued.

“Glad you think so,” the Doctor said half-heartedly.

“So where are we going this time?” Clara inquired.

“I’m not sure,” the Doctor answered while with a lack of enthusiasm and getting up from his seat.  He stepped towards the console and checked the scanner. As he went about stabilizing the TARDIS’ operations, Clara’s expression quieted as she sensed the Doctor’s unease.

“Doctor,” she said quietly.  “Is there something wrong?”

The Doctor paused at what he what was doing and turned to look at his companion.  He flicked one last switch with a sigh.

“Yes Clara,” he replied.  “There is.”

He paused a few seconds more before continuing.

“Clara, I am 1200 years old.   You are by no means my first companion.”

“Yes, I understand.”

“When I left Gallifrey all those years ago, I left with my granddaughter.  Her name was Susan Foreman. We first landed on Earth in the year 1963. She went to school like any other girl her age and I took her on adventures like I have taken you.  We’ve seen the planet Quinnis in the Fourth Universe, the metal seas of Venus, we taught cavemen how to make fire, we even saw the Rings of Akhaten…”

He trailed off.  A smile of reminisce began to spread across the Doctor’s face as he continued.

“Oh, those were the days.” the Doctor’s happiness then came to a stop as he began to speak of a bad memory.  “And then we witnessed the Dalek occupation of Earth when we landed in 2167. The Daleks were defeated, but it was I who had the greatest loss.”

“What happened?” Clara asked, worried.

“Susan grew up,” the Doctor answered, trying to hold back tears.  “She fell in love… and I left her there. She is the only family I have left now that the Time War has destroyed Gallifrey… and I have no idea where she is now.  She and I… the Last of the Time Lords.

“But you have a time machine!”  Clara exclaimed. “Why don’t you go back?”

The Doctor sighed and paused for a moment  before answering, “I am afraid.”

“Afraid of what?” Clara asked.

“Afraid of what I’ll see.”

Clara fell silent. The two pondered this for a couple seconds. Finally Clara spoke.

"Well," she said, "you'll never know at all if you don't go look, will you?"

The Doctor stared at his companion for a few short moments until his face finally broke into a devious smile.

“You Clara Oswald,” he said, turning to the console.  “Are absolutely right!”

“Now that’s more like it,” Clara replied.

The Doctor pulled a lever on the console.  The central column began to rise and fall as the TARDIS’ engines gave out their distinctive wheezing, groaning sound.

“Do you know where to go Doctor?” Clara questioned.

“Nope!” the Doctor answered.  “I’m setting the spatio-temporal tracker to pinpoint Susan at the point in her timestream where time is still being rewritten.”

The Doctor dashed around the console frantically as he piloted the TARDIS in his “regular” fashion.

“If I do this right, we should land no more than within a three-mile radius of her.”

A bright flare of sparks shot out of the side of the console.

“Oh, the TARDIS  _ hates _ being this specific!” the Doctor exclaimed.  “Hang on, Clara!”

The commotion then soon came to a stop, signifying that the TARDIS had landed.

“We’re here,” the Doctor said.  He then pulled the scanner monitor towards him.  A map of the TARDIS’ surrounding environment was on display along with a blinking red dot.  The Doctor cross-checked the data before finally saying, “That’s her. We’ve found her, Clara.”

The Doctor stared a little bit longer at the screen, contemplating his very near reunion with his long-lost granddaughter.  After a brief moment of this, the Doctor went to grab his purple frock coat.

“Shall we, Clara Oswald?” he asked, putting it on.

“Yes, Doctor, we shall,” Clara replied.

The two stepped out of the TARDIS and onto the street.  They breathed in the peaceful late afternoon air and began to walk down the street.

“We’re in London,” Clara acknowledged.  “But, it’s no London like I’ve ever seen.”

“Yes, because this is London in the year 2281,” the Doctor explained.  “December the twenty-sixth to be more specific.”

Clara looked off into the horizon.

“Is that a mountain?” Clara asked, a bit amazed.  “There aren’t any mountains in England!”

“It’s actually a volcano,” the Doctor explained.  “It should be inactive by now. It first erupted when I fought the Daleks some years ago from now.  Long story…”

The Doctor trailed off as his acute Time Lord senses picked up the sound of a police siren.  He noticed it was getting closer and closer.

“Doctor?” said Clara.

“Shh!  Quiet!” the Doctor interrupted.  Just then a young woman with short black hair quickly rounded the corner and abruptly pushed past the Doctor and Clara.

“So sorry!” she apologized in a voice familiar to the Doctor as she continued to run.

“Susan…” the Doctor said under his breath.  He stood aghast with his eyes widening in disbelief.

“Doctor… is that…?” Clara questioned.  But before she could finish her sentence, the Doctor had already dashed off after whom he had come for.

_ “Susan!”  _ he yelled.  But his cries were drowned out by the police bullhorn that called out the same.

_ “Susan Foreman, we have you surrounded!  You have nowhere to run!”  _ the gruff voice of a policeman ordered.  Susan stopped dead in her tracks as she realized her predicament.  Several police officers came out of their vehicles and seized Susan.  The Doctor stopped running as well with a look of complete confusion in response to his granddaughter’s situation.  Susan was then loaded into a police car. The Doctor cried out her name one last time. Susan turned her head to look at the strange man who called her name.  As the car door slammed shut, an emotion of shock and sadness came over the Doctor as it became apparent to him that Susan had no idea who he was.

Clara finally caught up to the Doctor.  She watched as the police cars sped off into the distance and then looked back up at the Doctor.

“Doctor,” she asked.  “Was that…?”

“Yes,” the Doctor replied.  “It was… and she’s gone again.”

The Doctor straightened his bow tie as his eyes narrowed fiercely.

"Let's go Clara," the Doctor said as the two began to walk toward where the Doctor suspected Susan was being taken.

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Doctor and Clara go to release Susan from police custody and learn a few things about this future London.

Some time later, the two time-travelers arrived at their destination.

"Here we are," the Doctor said.

Clara and the Doctor stood below the rotating "New Scotland Yard" sign.  As they looked at it, they saw that the sign clearly contradicted itself to its 21st century counterpart with the addition of an extra "New".

The Doctor acknowledged this and said to his companion, "Clara we need to get Susan as fast as we can, she's in a lot more trouble than I previously thought."

"Why, what's wrong?" Clara wondered.

"I'll explain later," the Doctor replied. He took another look at the "New New Scotland Yard" sign.  "Let's just go."

The two entered the building.  Inside, the air felt cold and stiff and a sense of insidiousness stifled the workplace.

The Doctor approached the front desk.  Behind it sat a receptionist.

"Excuse me," the Doctor said.  "My name is Dr. John Smith."

"Yes, may I help you Dr. Smith?" the receptionist replied.

"I wish to speak with the Chief Inspector, I have some very urgent matters that I need to discuss with him," the Doctor continued.

"Yes, very well," the receptionist said.  She pressed a button on a phone receiver and said, "Inspector Domville, there is someone who wants to speak with you."

"Bring them up," the stern voice of the Inspector replied.

The Doctor and Clara were then escorted into an elevator and were taken up to the level where the Chief Inspector's office resided.  A few moments later, they were brought before him.

As they walked towards the office, they were able to pick up the noise of the heated phone conversation the Chief Inspector was having.

"Yes, Sir, I understand," he spoke.  "You needn't worry. She came into our custody not to long ago today.  She will be delivered to you soon."

Inspector Domville put down the phone and looked up to see the Doctor and Clara in his doorway.

"I suppose you were the one who wished to speak with me," said the Inspector.

"Yes," the Doctor replied in an authoritative tone, stepping forward and pulling his psychic paper out of his pocket.  "My name is Doctor John Smith, Head of the Extraplanetary Research Division of the United Intelligence Taskforce."

"Alright then, Doctor," Inspector Domville replied, sitting down.  "What is it that you want then? I have some very important business to attend to."

The Doctor and Clara sat down in the two chairs in front of the Chief Inspector's desk.

"It came to my attention that a young woman named Susan Foreman has been brought into your custody," the Doctor continued.

"Oh, so she's made her way onto UNIT's radar too, you say?" the Inspector asked, interested.

"Is this surprising to you?" the Doctor wondered.

"For a rather long time, she has been the subject of a fair amount of rumors," answered Domville.

"How so?"

"She has lived in the area for quite some time, but never in the same place for more than a year.  The same goes for her work, it is just as shifty. She was a librarian at the Coal Hill Secondary School, though I am not sure if she even has an occupation at this moment."

"So she's a temp, does that bother you?"

"That part does not interest me as much as that she never seems to age."

Clara looked at the Doctor worriedly.

"Inspector," the Doctor pressed.  "All I ask is for a transference of custody.  Trust me, we'll work all this out at UNIT."

"Yes, of course," Inspector Domville replied.  "You may have her."

"It was a pleasure talking with you, Inspector," the Doctor said, smiling with the thought of being so close to having Susan back.

Inspector Domville escorted the Doctor and Clara back down to the lobby.  He told them to stay where they were and went off into a back room. A short time later, he returned with Susan.  The Doctor did his best to maintain a professional façade as a massive flood of emotions came about him. There in front of him stood the one whom he had not seen for so many long centuries.

The Doctor recognized her wide almond eyes, her shapely cheekbones, and the same innocent look on her face that masked a hidden feeling of defiance.  At the same time, the Doctor could see that his granddaughter truly had grown up. Physically, it was apparent that Susan had grown into a lovely young woman.  She was taller, obviously, however it became clear to the Doctor that emotionally, Susan walked with a feeling of underlying sadness. The Doctor was felt concerned about this and simply wanted to know what he had missed ever since he left his granddaughter.

"There you are Doctor," Inspector Domville said.  "Shall I escort you to UNIT Headquarters?"

"No thank you, Inspector," the Doctor replied.  "I think that will be all."

Susan irritatedly stared that the Doctor, saying not a word.  She recognized this strange man from when he shouted her name at the time when she was arrested and all  _ she _ wanted to know was simply who he was.

The Doctor, Clara, and Susan exited the New New Scotland Yard building.  Once outside, Susan demanded, "Tell me who you are."

The Doctor turned around.  "Susan Foreman, why don't you remember?  Come on, why don't we talk about this somewhere else," he replied, referring to the security cameras mounted on the walls of the police building.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Susan remembers her grandfather.

The three made their way to a park.  The Doctor and Clara sat down on a bench underneath a tree.  Susan remained standing with her expression unchanged from when she was released from the police.

"I will ask you again," Susan pressed authoritatively.  "Who are you?"

The Doctor got up and stood in front of Susan.  He softly grabbed her shoulders and looked into her eyes.

“Oh, Susan,” the Doctor said.  “You really don’t know, do you?”

“Who are you?”

“Susan, it’s me.  I’m the Doctor.”

“Doctor who?”

“No, just the Doctor.”

“Grandfather?” Susan’s eyes widened with disbelief.

“Hello, Susan,” the Doctor said back, his eyes beginning to flood with tears of joy with the assurance that his granddaughter remembered.

“Grandfather, you came back!” Susan cried.

“Of course I came back Susan,” the Doctor replied.  “I promised I would.”

The Doctor stood back up and turned to Clara, who was still sitting.

“Susan,” he said.  “This is Clara, she’s a friend of mine.”

Clara got up from the bench and extended a polite “hello” to the Doctor’s granddaughter.

“It’s very nice to finally meet you,” she said.

“Well, now that we are all acquainted,” the Doctor said.  “Susan there are some very serious matters that I need to talk with you about.”

“What do you mean?” Susan replied.

“Susan, I need to know exactly why the police were after you,” the Doctor replied.

As the conversation carried on, Clara noticed that the sky was beginning to darken.  The Doctor and Susan both looked upwards and took note of this.

“Oh, the weather isn’t looking too well,” observed Susan.  “My apartment isn’t far from here. Perhaps you could both stay there for the night.”

“That sounds splendid,” the Doctor replied.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Susan and the Doctor catch up on lost time.

Some time later the three arrived at Susan’s apartment building.  By that time, the darkened sky had progressed into a heavy pour of rain.  After climbing a flight stairs, they came to Susan’s apartment.

“Here we are,” Susan said as she unlocked the door.

Susan’s apartment was noticeably small and this was accentuated by the miscellania that was strewn about the room.  It looked as if all of her life had been condensed into the living space, from when she left Gallifrey with her grandfather to her life now, and all the years between.  On the either sides of Susan’s bed were small tables which the Doctor noticed rather quickly, each for a very different reason.

“So, this is it,” Susan said as she plopped down onto her bed. “It’s not much, but it’s home.  For now, at least.”

“I don’t mind,” Clara chimed in.  “I kind of like it.”

“Thank you,” Susan replied.  “It’s Clara, isn’t it? I think I remember seeing you before, I just can’t put my finger on it.”

“It’s a long story,” the Doctor said with a bit of impatience.

“Is something wrong, Grandfather?” Susan asked.

“Why were the police after you?” the Doctor replied sternly.

Susan paused for a moment as she contemplated how she would put her words together.

“I’m an illegal.”

“That’s what I feared.”

Clara looked puzzled.  “Doctor?” she asked. “What are you talking about?”

“The Invasion,” he replied cryptically.  Clara turned to look at Susan in the hope that she could provide a clearer answer.  Susan sighed and rubbed her arms nervously as she remembered the terrible events.

“After the Daleks invaded earth and then were destroyed, the United Nations passed a international law declaring that Earth would have absolutely no extraplanetary contact.  I thought I was safe for a while, because I look human.”

“Then why were you arrested?” Clara asked.

“Over the past few years, the laws have been more… _ militarily _ enforced,” Susan replied.   She then looked down, her mood changing.

"It's the curse of the Time Lords," she continued.  "I might look like a human, but I certainly don't age like one."

The Doctor furrowed his brow.

"Susan," he asked hesitantly.  "How old are you?"

Susan blew out her cheeks before answering, "One hundred and twenty-nine."

"No wonder the Inspector was worried," the Doctor said to himself.

“Oh, I just wanted to get away...” Susan said, anxiously running her hands through her hair.

“But you couldn’t, could you,” the Doctor added, sensing were this was going.  Susan glanced at a small picture frame standing on her nightstand. It was a photograph of Susan smiling and standing next to a handsome young man with brown hair.  Between them stood a teenage boy with long bangs and a sort of smug face. As he picked up the and admired the picture, it didn’t take long for the Doctor to realize what the photograph was.

Clara stood up to discover what the photograph was as well.  Her mouth opened slightly as realization dawned upon her.

“You have a family?” she asked Susan, breaking the silence.

“You married David Campbell?” the Doctor asked, eyebrows raised.  His surprised expression drew out a smile. “And who’s this young man?”

“He’s your great-grandson,” Susan answered.  “Alexander David Campbell.”

“Then I can definitely feel the years piling on right now,” the Doctor replied with a bit of a laugh.  “All 1200 of them.” Susan smiled, knowing that even though the Doctor’s faced has changed to that of a younger man, he was still her grandfather.  This brief feeling of happiness was something she had not experienced in a long time. But all good things must come to pass.

“Susan,” Clara spoke up.  “Why do you live alone if you have a family?”

“They’re gone,” Susan said, the emotion dropping from her face like a stone.  The nonchalant manner in which she spoke about it suggested that Susan hadn’t had a family in a very long time.  “David died about thirty years ago, natural causes, of course. But Alexander…” she paused and inhaled deeply. “He was in a terrible car accident.  The police said he was killed instantly. He was only twenty-two years old….”

“Hold on, Susan,” the Doctor said, sitting beside Susan to comfort her.  “If Alexander was your son, then wouldn’t he be half-human, half-Time Lord?”

“No,” Susan answered.  “He wasn’t. Yes, he was half-Gallifreyan, but he wasn’t a Time Lord.  He didn’t have the ability to regenerate.”

“Well,” the Doctor started dourly.  “I’m very sorry about that. I would have very much liked to meet him.  I’m sure he was a very good kid.”

“He certainly was,” Susan replied.  She looked back up at her grandfather once again.  “There’s nothing left for me here…”

The Doctor got up from his seat and paced the floor for a brief moment, unsure of whether to go forth in his plan of action for fear of what his granddaughter would say.  Finally, he returned to Susan, stooped down and softly gripped her hands.

The Doctor then said something he never imagined he would have to say to his own flesh and blood, “Susan Foreman...do you want to come away with me?”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Susan and the Doctor contemplate.

Susan was astonished at her grandfather’s request and at a complete loss of words.  The last century of her life had been filled with fear and uncertainty with the very real possibility of her unearthly origin being discovered.  Those same fears were coming closer to reality with the event of her arrest earlier. But with her grandfather, the Doctor being brought back into her life, these fears were beginning to diminish with the chance at a new life, traveling among the stars once again.

“Oh, Grandfather...I-I…” Susan struggled to find the words.  Across the way, the Doctor was silent, tight-mouthed and patiently waiting for an answer.

“Please give me time to think about it,” Susan responded apologetically.

“Oh, okay then,” the Doctor said weakly.  “That’s fine.”

He got up slowly and turned to Clara who was somewhat saddened.  “Let’s go, Clara.”

“It was nice meeting you, Susan,” Clara said before leaving Susan’s apartment.

“Yes, and you too,” Susan replied.

The Doctor headed to the door.  Giving Susan one last look, he sighed and said, “If you make up your mind, I’m parked by King’s Cross...just so you know.”

Just before the Doctor closed the door, Susan interrupted, “Grandfather, is it time to go home?”

“What?”

“Is it time to go home?  Is that why you came back?”

The Doctor paused again.  “No more questions for now, child.”

He closed the door.

Outside, Clara was waiting for the Doctor, she knew the Doctor was still very upset about something and she simply wanted to know why.

“Doctor,” she asked.  “What’s wrong? You got to see Susan again!  Aren’t you happy?”

“I am happy Clara, more than you could believe,” the Doctor replied.  “But there’s still something troubling me.”

“What is it?”

“Clara, the last time I ever saw Susan was a very long time ago in the Death Zone on Gallifrey.”

“Does she not remember?”

“No,” the Doctor said in a disquieting tone.  “It hasn’t happened yet, not for her at least.  It’s my past but her future. But that’s not possible!  The only way the Time Scoop could happen then is if….” The Doctor tried to form the concluding words to his sentence.  His lips trembled nervously, but nothing came out.

“If what?” asked Clara, now a bit more worried.

“There’s no time to worry about it now, Clara,” the Doctor replied.  “Come on, let’s get back to the TARDIS.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Susan contemplates some more.

Susan lay quietly in her bed, unable to sleep.  Blankly, she stared at the ceiling while inside her mind, her thoughts raced, deliberating on the choice that her grandfather presented to her.  Roughly an hour had passed since the Doctor and Clara left and Susan was no closer to finding a conclusion. She turned on her side and stared at the Campbell family portrait to see her late husband looking back at her.  Life with him had given her a previously unknown sense of security and stability. But Susan knew that she was dwelling on the past, that life was long gone, whether she was going to or not. With all the contemplation running through her already tired mind, Susan stopped thinking, closed her eyes, and soon fell asleep.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Susan has a dream as well as a decision to make.

Susan awoke after a long sleep filled with thinking and contemplation.  As she rose and rubbed her eyes, she saw that she was in a room with sterile white walls with large circular indentations.  On one side of the room was a desk with scribbled papers and books strewn about. On the other side of the room were a closet and a large bookcase packed with books and tomes of varying sizes and subjects.  The omnipresent sound of a faint mechanical humming filled the air. Susan recognized this place very well.

She exited the room and walked down a long hallway that led to a large spacious room whose walls also contained the familiar roundels.  At the center of the room was a large mushroom-shaped console that was covered in many switches, buttons, and levers. In the center of the console, a glass cylinder rose and fell in time with a wheezing, groaning sound.  And at that console was an old man hard at work operating the controls on the console. He paused and looked at Susan and smiled kindly at her. Susan smiled back and strode over to join him at the controls.

Suddenly, the room shook.  A bright flare of sparks shot from one of the console’s control panels.

“Susan, get back!” the old man shouted.  A bright light blinded Susan.

“Grandfather!” Susan yelled in fear.  Then, the light faded. Susan saw that she was now no longer in the white room.  She was still in her bed in the drably-colored room of her apartment.

It was all a dream.

Still Susan remembered the visited that her grandfather had paid her yesterday.  His young face and Clara, his companion. Susan knew deep in her hearts that it was finally time.  It was time to leave. It was time to live.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Susan's new adventure begins.

 

Quickly, Susan got out of bed and got dressed.  She stuffed some clothes and favorite books into a backpack.  In her jacket pocket, she put a bag full of small mechanical parts and a peculiar small metal rod.  Susan’s mind was overwhelmed with one singular thought: she was going to go traveling with her grandfather again.

All packed up, Susan headed for the door.  Suddenly, she stopped herself as she realized that she had forgotten something  Susan walked back to the nightstand by her bed. With a smile of reminisce, she carefully placed the Campbell family portrait in her backpack and slipped her wedding ring back onto her finger.  These objects would serve as a reminder of the very things that kept her going through the struggle of the last one hundred and fourteen years. Susan walked out of her apartment. As she closed the door behind her, she knew that her new life had just started.

As Susan walked down the streets of London, anticipation silently built up inside her  Before long, she caught sight of her grandfather leaning against a blue Police Box and smiling broadly.

Susan walked up to the anachronism and placed her hand on its wood paneling.  The Doctor noticed that with this gesture, the light on top of the roof glow a little brighter.

“After all these years,” Susan remarked.  “It’s still a Police Box.”

The Doctor moved to the front of the Police Box.  He raise his arm above his head and snapped his fingers.  The door opened with a creak, revealing the TARDIS’ interior dimensions.

“Welcome back Susan,” the Doctor said.

Susan slowly stepped into the TARDIS, simply amazed by what she saw, taking note of the drastic change from the interior she was familiar with to the one that her grandfather now traveled throughout all of time and space in.  Gone were the roundels on the wall, the antique furniture, or even the hat stand. What was now was a cavernous chamber with metal walls adorned with lights that filled the room with ambient glowing colors. The central column reached up to touch the ceiling, encircled by rings patterned with Gallifreyan symbols.

“You’ve redecorated,” was the first thing that Susan could think to say.

“You don’t like it?” the Doctor asked quizzically, closing the front door.

“No, no,” Susan replied.  “It’s beautiful.” Susan sat down in one of the passenger chairs and simply took it all in as the Doctor looked upon her gladly.

A moment later, Clara came up the stairs, pausing upon the sight of the reunited grandfather and granddaughter.  The Doctor once told her that he had a granddaughter, but Clara never thought that she would have the honor of actually meeting Susan Foreman.

Clara broke the silence with a friendly “good morning” to the Doctor and Susan.

“Where are we going now, Doctor?” Clara asked.

“I believe, that’s all Susan’s decision,” the Doctor replied.  “Alright Susan. All of time and space, everything that ever happened or ever will, every star that ever was… where do you want to resume?”

“Nowhere in particular, I suppose,” Susan replied with a smile.  The Doctor pulled on the main throttle lever. Nothing happened. The Doctor and his companions exchanged puzzled looks.  Suddenly, the TARDIS shuddered violently. The TARDIS’ engines strained and the Doctor knew that the Ship was being taken somewhere it didn’t want to go.  The Doctor dashed around the console, desperately trying to regain control.

“Doctor, what’s happening?” Clara cried.

“TARDIS Interference!” the Doctor exclaimed.  “Something’s taken over the Ship!”


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The enemy is revealed.

The commotion came to a standstill.  Clara, Susan, and the Doctor quickly glanced at each other to make sure that they were all alright.  The Doctor nervously tried the flight controls again, but nothing was working. The time machine had stopped.  He checked the readout on the onboard monitor.

“FORCED SPATIAL DISPLACEMENT,” the screen displayed.  “TEMPORARY DAMAGE TO MAIN DRIVE ENGINES, REPAIRS IN PROGRESS.”

“Well, isn’t that just brilliant?” the Doctor muttered in angry sarcasm.

“What is it?” a worried Clara asked.

“The TARDIS is stuck, she was forced to go somewhere she didn’t want” the Doctor answered.  “But that’s not the big problem at hand, now is it?”

“It’s something with the power to take over the Ship, throw it off course,” Susan added.  “But what?”

“I very much hope that it’s not what I think,” the Doctor said, trying to get the TARDIS’ systems back online.  “If it were, then we’d be in far much more trouble than I had expected.”

Suddenly, the Doctor’s fears were confirmed as the harsh tones of a staccato, robotic voice rang out.

“Doctor!  You are our prisoner!  You will exit the TARDIS and surrender to us or be EXTERMINATED!”

Upon hearing that last cruel word, Susan’s hearts skipped a beat as she was filled with a fear she had not felt in over a century.  The Doctor turned to look at the TARDIS doors with equal horror as he feared for the lives of his companion and his granddaughter. He swallowed and promptly put on a brave face.

“I’m going out there,” he said firmly.  “Clara, Susan, I need you to hide yourselves, and quickly!  I’m not risking you two to those monsters out there.”

Unmoving, Susan and Clara stared incredulously at the Doctor.

“Well, go!” he exclaimed.  “Both of you, now!”

“No, Grandfather, I’m going with you,” Susan said.

“Susan,” the Doctor grasped his granddaughter’s shoulders.  “I can’t lose you again, not after I just got you back.”

“No, Grandfather!” Susan recoiled from the Doctor’s touch.  “I’m going with you.”

“That’s enough of this nonsense!” retorted the Doctor, unaware that his tone was matching that of his much younger self.

“I’m not a child anymore, Grandfather!” Susan yelled, taking the Doctor aback.  “I’m not the silly little girl that you left all those years ago!”

The Doctor finally opened his eyes to see the young Time Lady that stood before him.  He realized what he had missed in the years past in which he never got to see Susan. He saw that the precocious schoolgirl had grown into an astute young woman.  And he accepted that.

“You’re right, Susan” he calmly apologized, taking her hand.  “We’re in this together.

“Thank you, Grandfather,” Susan smiled.

“And I’ve got your back too, you know,” Clara said sincerely.  “Whether you like it or not.”

“Of course, Clara,” the Doctor smiled.  “My Impossible Girl.”

The Doctor stood at the TARDIS’ entryway.  Taking a deep breath, he grabbed the handle to the door and, before crossing the point of no return, said with confidence and determination, “Geronimo.”


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The enemy is revealed, but things are not as they seem.

The Doctor, Clara, and Susan stepped out of the TARDIS to be met with a horrifying sight.  Three Daleks, each with their gun sticks locked onto three and ready to fire, their eyepieces glowing brightly.  Two of them were plated in bronze-colored dalekanium, which the Doctor recognized as being from the era of the Time War.  But the third struck the Doctor as oddly familiar. This one had a light grey and silver design with the characteristic half-spheres on the skirt being a light blue color.

 

"Well now," the Doctor said to the third Dalek.  "Hello again."

 

One of the bronze Daleks extended its manipulator arm towards Susan as she clenched her grandfather's arm in fear.

 

"Facial recognition and DNA signature are a match," the Dalek reported.  "Gallifreyan female, identification: Susan Foreman. Target acquired! Target acquired!"

"Grandfather, what do they mean?" Susan trembled.

 

But before he could answer, the Doctor heard the sound of many marching boots.  The group of Daleks in front of him and his companions parted, allowing a path for a squad of soldiers.  The men were equipped with combat gear and assault rifles. Their vague, emotionless faces were explained by the strange metal helmets that they wore.  These soldiers were Robomen.

 

In front of them was their leader, a decorated military commander with a strong face, sharp nose, and a thick scar that ran down his cheek and past the corner of his mouth.  The Doctor saw with him was the New Paradigm Supreme Dalek.

 

"Well Doctor, now is as good a time as any to become formally introduced," he said in a politely sinister voice.  "After all, I have to thank you for personally bringing your granddaughter to me."

"Who are you and what could you possibly want with her?" the Doctor angrily questioned.

"I am Colonel Richard Smithson and you will know soon just what I want of your granddaughter," came the reply.  "Stun her."

"I obey," said the Supreme Dalek coldly.

 

The Supreme Dalek aimed its weapon and shot a bolt of energy at Susan's legs.  With a cry of pain, Susan felt her muscles instantly flood with numbness. Paralyzed, she collapsed to the floor.

 

"Susan!" the Doctor shouted.  He dove to his granddaughter's aid as Susan struggled to find some sort of movement in her body. Robomen soldiers came to take Susan away, but the Doctor would never allow it.  In a rage, he fought, balling a fist and striking the soldiers. But his efforts were in vain as he was soon overcome and restrained. The Colonel simply smiled in enjoyment as he watched all this unfold before him.  Clara, who had previously been unusually silent, finally spoke out to the Colonel.

 

"Now you just listen here, Mister," she said.  "I don't care who you are or what you're planning, but I can tell you right now that you just made a very, very big mistake."

"Ah, the Doctor's companion, always so brave," came the Colonel's reply.  "We shall see. Take her away!"

 

The Doctor could only watch as his granddaughter was taken away from him once more as a Roboman soldier carried her off. Another soldier promptly frisked the Doctor's pockets and confiscated his sonic screwdriver and psychic paper.

 

"Walk with me, Doctor," beckoned the Colonel.  The Robomen restraining the Doctor released him and he and Clara reluctantly followed the Colonel.

 

As they walked under the escort of the Supreme Dalek and a few Robomen, the Doctor and Clara realized that they were in some sort of sprawling complex.

 

"Care to tell us where we are?" Clara spoke up.

"The first of many questions, I'm sure," the Colonel replied.  "This complex and base of operations of mine lies directly under the city of Brighton.  I found the nearby cliffs to be of much use to me. They make such perfect space for secret hangar doors."

"A hangar for what?" the Doctor questioned.

"The future, Doctor!" said the Colonel as he activated the controls to a large metal blast door.  "The future!"

 

As the door slowly opened, the Doctor and Clara were revealed to a huge expansive room as long as an aircraft carrier and as tall as a skyscraper, illuminated by hundreds of bright hanging lights.  As he looked over the railing of the balcony that he and the others were standing on, the Doctor saw dozens, if not more, of unmistakeable saucer-shaped Dalek ships. The floor was alive with the movement of countless Dalek drones performing their duties like a hive of bees.

 

"What have you done?" the Doctor demanded to know.

"It's simple," replied the Colonel.  "I've created an army. The Daleks, the greatest warrior race in the universe.  Ruthless, relentless, and above all, completely obedient to me."

"What?  Obedient?" the Doctor was appalled.  "Now is not the time to play games with me, Colonel.  The Daleks would never take orders from another species!  Don't you know anything about the Invasion of 2174? I know the Daleks better than anyone ever could and the only thing they know how to do is enslave and kill.  And now all you've done is give them them the chance to do that again! There is nothing in the universe that would ever make me believe otherwise! Hell, Colonel.  That's what you've unleashed, Hell."

 

The Colonel merely smiled at the Doctor and chuckled.  He called the Supreme Dalek beside him to attention.

 

"Supreme Dalek!" he barked in a gruff, military attitude, looking it straight in the eyestalk.  "Who is your commander?"

"You are," the Dalek said without hesitation or emotion.

"Whose orders do you follow?"

"Your orders."

"Do you obey me?"

"I obey."

"Do you obey me?" the Colonel's tone rose.

"I obey!"

"Do you obey me?!" the Colonel yelled.

"I obey!" the Dalek answered in the full extent of its harsh voice.

"Now, is that enough proof for you, Doctor?" the Colonel asked, turning back to the Doctor and Clara.

"No," the Doctor angrily grumbled.

"Take them to the holding cells," the Colonel said, having had enough of the the Time Lord.

 

The accompanying Robomen soldiers nudged the Doctor and Clara with their rifles and escorted them down another corridor.

 

"Now, Supreme Dalek," said the Colonel.  "The time is almost come. Prepare the troops and ready the ships.  Soon the world will know who holds true power. But now, I have other matters to attend to."

"I obey."


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Susan receives help from an unlikely ally.

The cold artificial brightness of fluorescent lights shone down upon Susan, disorienting her as she lay upon a metal medical examination table, bound to it by her wrists and ankles.  The room she was in seemed to be bleached white, a stark contrast to the otherwise gloomy corridors of the underground complex. One wall was lined with computer monitors that displayed complicated readouts and information.  On the opposite side was a table laid out with several sterilized medical tools. Next to the tools was Susan's bag of peculiar metallic parts as well as her shoes and jacket. Behind Susan, a screen displayed several X-ray images, the one of her ribcage revealing her double hearts.  In front of her a large glass window separated the examination room from the outside corridor.

 

With Susan in the room was a Dalek which Susan recognized ad being from the Invasion and was doing her best not to show fear towards.  In addition, there was a young man with a freckled face and short curly hair in a white lab coat who was working diligently at making sense of the data his computers presented to him.  He was under Robo-control, made obvious by the helmet he wore. Yet Susan did not seem to fear the Roboman scientist nearly as much as the Dalek, inferring that he had a degree of free will to conserve his scientific abilities.  Susan observed that, strangely, every now and then, the scientist would put is hand to his head as if he had a headache.

 

"Of course..." Susan muttered to herself as she realized what was happening to the scientist.

"Silence!" the Dalek ordered.

 

Just then, the Colonel himself entered the examination room and circled around Susan's table, grinning evilly.

 

"I trust you have made significant progress, Dr. Madison?" he asked.

"Yes sir, I have," the scientist replied, speaking in a soft Scottish accent.  "In the X-rays that I've taken, I've discovered something quite remarkable: a binary vascular system, unheard of in any mammal.  At a resting heart rate of about 120 beats per minute, this creature has the most efficient oxygen transfer mechanic of any living thing we know of.  That with an enlarged brain capacity and bypass respiratory system, this creature's species is biologically superior to humans in every way!"

"Most interesting," the Colonel said.  "But I've asked for a much more unique piece of data.  What of the genes? That's what want! The genetic code of the Time Lord!"

"Oh, yes," the scientist continued.  "Now that bit was truly amazing! I've taken blood and tissue samples and once I got into the cell nuclei, I took high-magnification microscopic images, and I found something really extraordinary: triple-helical DNA!"

"Of course!" the Colonel was elated.

"The creature exhibits accelerated healing, immunity to nearly every known disease.."

"And regeneration," the Colonel cut off, turning menacingly towards Susan.  "The Time Lords' great secret of immortality."

"What do you want with me?" Susan implored.

"It's not you that I want, per se," the Colonel said ingratiatingly.  "The regenerative factor of your genetic code will be used to construct an army of super soldiers, unkillable and unstoppable."

"You're a fool, Colonel," Susan said defiantly.  "Time Lords have the gift of regeneration only because we are the Children of Time.  You cannot hope to possess that sort of power."

"Um, sir..." said the scientist.

"What?" the Colonel snapped.  The scientist did not respond, apparently in a sort of daze.  "Well, what is it, boy? Speak up!"

"...Well, uh, she's right," the scientist shook his head and came back.  "The third helix in the creature's DNA would make the direct genetic engineering of the double-helical structure of human DNA impossible."

"I don't want excuses, Dr. Madison, I want results!" the Colonel replied frustratedly.

"Well, I could theoretically modify the third helix into a virus which could be injected into a subject's bloodstream.  It would be extremely risky though. The results would be highly unpredictable."

"It is no matter," the Colonel said.  "Get to it. I shall return again to check upon your progress."

 

The Colonel turned back again towards Susan.

 

"Oh, what I could do with the power that flows through those veins," he muttered.  He smiled and promptly exited the examination room.

 

As the scientist continued his work, Susan noticed that his headaches were becoming more and more frequent.  After a few moments, he grabbed a hypodermic syringe with the intent of taking another blood sample. He stumbled as he got up from his chair and groaned with pain.

 

"Do you continue to function?" the Dalek in the examination room questioned.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," the scientist said.  The Dalek came around towards him and extended its plunger arm to perform a scan.

"Detecting anomalies in neural relays," it said.  "Robo-control is failing. Malfunctioning units will be exterminated!  Exterminate!"

 

At that very moment, the scientist stabbed the syringe into the Dalek's eyestalk.

 

"My vision is impaired!  I cannot see! I cannot see!"

 

The Dalek flew into a blind panic and began to wildly fire its weapon.  The scientist jumped out the way just in time. The Dalek fired several more beams of energy, hoping at least one would hit its target.  The scientist dashed to the other side of the examination table. Quickly, he undid Susan's bonds, pulled her off and knocked the table over.  The Dalek fired again, its energy beam hitting the stainless steel of the metal table, ricocheting off and returning to its firer, destroying it in a fiery explosion.  Fire spinklers on the ceiling quickly activated and began to douse the flames. Once the fire was out, they stopped. What was once a Dalek was now a scorched hunk of metal and a blob of slimy organic matter that was once a Kaled mutant.  Behind the table, the scientist held Susan tightly in his arms. In a frenzy that frightened her, he suddenly cried out in pain, clenching at his head and trying to tear off his control helmet.

 

"What is this thing?" he yelled.  "Get it off me!"

 

Susan got up and grabbed the scientist by the wrists, trying to control him.  Stopping him against the wall, she locked eyes with him. The scientist suddenly felt very relaxed.

 

"Who are you?" she asked calmly.  "What is your name?"

"M-my name's...Eric," came the reply.  "Eric Augustus Madison."

"Where are you from, Eric?"

"I was born and raised in Glasgow, I studied at Cambridge, got a degree in biochemistry..." Eric said a bit nervously.  "Why are you asking me this?"

"Please, Eric," Susan pressed.  "I'm trying to help you. Do you know where you are or how you got here?"

"How I got here?  That's just sort of a big fuzzy blur," said Eric.  "I remember...performing tests on a girl, collecting samples, studying her DNA..."

"What did she look like?"

"She was a bit short.  She had brown eyes and short black hair, just like...you."

 

Susan carefully slipped off Eric's control helmet.

 

"Oh my god, I am so sorry," Eric cried as he realized what he had done.  "Please, please forgive me. Please understand that I never would have willingly done all those things to you."

"It's fine, Eric," said Susan, giving Eric a hug.  "I forgive you."

 

Susan grabbed her belongings and went to Eric's desk.  She was glad that at least of of the computers weren't hit by the Dalek's attack.

 

"What are you looking for?" Eric asked.

"Not what," replied Susan as she accessed the computer's data.  "Who. I'm looking for the Doctor."

"Doctor who?" Eric wondered.

"He's my grandfather."

"Then he's a 'Time Lord', like you."

"Exactly."

"Actually, I remember being notified about him," Eric exclaimed.  "He's being kept in the holding sector. I can help get you there, but we'll have to be extremely careful.  There'll be Daleks and soldiers crawling all over the place."

"Then let's get going," Susan said.  She headed towards the examination room's door when she suddenly stopped and smiled at Eric.  "Thank you, Eric. For everything."

"Um...you're welcome," Eric said, unsure of what to think.  "Now, come on. Let's get going."


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The time-travelers make their escapes as the Colonel's plans begin to go into motion.

Clara sat on the bench in her and the Doctor's cell, watching the madly frustrated Time Lord pace back and forth like a caged lion.  Occasionally, he would nervously glance at his wristwatch and know that with each passing second that ticked by, his granddaughter was in more and more danger.

 

"One hour, sixteen minutes, and five seconds we've been stuck in here!" he remarked with great upset, slamming his fists against the concrete wall.  "Stuck in a deadlocked, magnetically sealed room with no screwdriver, no psychic paper, and no bloody way to get out and save Susan!"

 

Clara eyes widened, a bit startled at the Doctor's sudden outburst.

 

"You're not the Doctor," Clara said, backing into the corner away from him.  "Who are you?"

 

The Doctor's expression suddenly shifted into one of genuine concern for his companion.  

 

"Come on now, Clara.  You know who I am," he said with a nervous smile.  "Time Lord with two hearts from the planet Gallifrey, zooming around time and space with you in a TARDIS?  'Bow ties are cool' and all that?"

"Are you?" Clara replied adamantly.  "Because the real Doctor—the one I knew—would never, ever give up.  He would always find a way out. Always."

"So that's what this is about?" the Doctor questioned.

"I know you're angry," said Clara.  "I know how worried you are about Susan.  But you just worrying and standing about isn't going to help you, me, or her."

 

***

 

Just outside of the sector of the complex where the Doctor and Clara were being kept, Susan and Eric had managed to get to the door to the holding area after a few close calls.  They were about to round the corner to the hallway when they were suddenly stopped by a Roboman soldier.

 

"What is the meaning of this?" he questioned in monotone gruffness.   "Explain yourself."

"Prisoner transfer from medical sector," Eric answered, keeping a professional air.

"I received no notification of this," the soldier replied.  "You are in violation of protocol...."

The soldier was cut off suddenly when he crumpled to the ground immediately after Susan deftly tapped him on the forehead.

 

"What did you do?" a surprised Eric asked.  "Did you kill him?"

"Oh, definitely not," said Susan.  "He's just sleeping. I filled his head with a wonderful dream.  It's a little trick I learned from Grandfather."

"I see."

 

Eric took a security card from the unconscious soldier and opened the door to the holding sector.  The two came into the area to find strangely absent of any other guards. Regardless, they were quite happy to not find any Daleks inside.  Using the security card again, Susan opened the door to the Doctor and Clara's cell. The moment the Time Lord laid eyes upon his granddaughter, he was filled once again with a great feeling of happiness as he embraced Susan.

 

"Oh, Susan," the Doctor said.  "I'd almost thought I lost you again."

"I'm here, Grandfather," Susan replied.  "All thanks to my friend here. This is Eric Madison.  He saved my life, actually."

"Then you must be the Doctor," Eric said.

"The one and only," replied the Doctor.  "And you definitely have my thanks."

 

Susan found her grandfather's confiscated sonic screwdriver and psychic paper in a box on a table on the other side of the room and returned them to the Doctor.

 

"Alright everyone," the Doctor said.  "We need to get to the TARDIS as quickly as we can if we're going to stop the Colonel.  God knows what will happen if his army gets loose."

"The what?" a puzzled Eric questioned.

"The TARDIS, my ship," the Doctor explained.  "Big blue box, says 'police' on it. You know where it is?"

"Um, probably in the hangar," Eric replied.  "But you'll never get to it. That place'll be swarming with Daleks."

 

At that very moment, the voice of the Supreme Dalek came on the base's PA system.

 

"Attention!  All Dalek units will board warships immediately.  All crafts to lift off into attack formation in eight hundred rels.  Exterminate! Exterminate! EXTERMINATE!"

 

An expression of horror came over the four as they realized what was to be unleashed upon the world: an army of Daleks waiting for revenge upon the humans that they had once enslaved, all led by a madman.

 

"We're too late," Susan cried.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is all that I have written as part of the original story that I began years ago. Time will tell if I finish it, but please let me know what you thought of it. I hope you enjoyed it!


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